


O' Christmas Tree...How Lovely are Your Brances

by Ladyhydrangeas



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Tree, Dogs, F/M, Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-25
Updated: 2017-12-25
Packaged: 2019-02-20 10:57:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,769
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13145220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladyhydrangeas/pseuds/Ladyhydrangeas
Summary: “You got a Christmas tree?”“It seems I have.”She leveled him with another look, curious, the corners of her lips twitching into a smile.“So...Are you going to decorate it?”





	O' Christmas Tree...How Lovely are Your Brances

**Author's Note:**

> A Very Merry Christmas to everyone! This fic is dedicated to my Hannibal Holiday giftee: Edge (http://edge-o-matic.tumblr.com/) They have some really great art, you should check them out!!! 
> 
> Happy Holidays and Have a very blessed rest of the year!

Will sighed deeply, looking up at the bare tree placed in the corner of his living area. He had bought it on a whim, suckered into the excitement that was around him at the time. Seemed like a good idea. Seemed normal enough, but now he didn't know exactly what to do with it. At least there was a bit of hope, having something festive set up might peak Abigail's interest in visiting. The presence of the tree sparked interest in his “roommates”. They wagged their bushy tails back and forth, expectantly waiting for some sort of acknowledgment from their owner over whether or not they could advance on the new home decoration. Will wasn't sure how long the tree would last under these circumstances.

A knock on the door distracted the gang from any further potential foliage folly, directing their barks to the door. Will shuffled between then, only looking up through the window to find a silhouette of long, brown, locks. Alana Bloom. He couldn't help but be confused, letting out a sigh through his nose. Jack hadn't called that day....so it couldn't be because of a case. His mind cataloged his previous interactions with her, hoping to find something to clue himself into why she decided to show up. Not that he minded of course....

It just.

It never happened really.

In fact, Alana was known to avoid him at all possible if they were to find themselves in the same room alone.

“Hi” Alana smiled, tilting her head to the side just a fraction. Her eyes and her smile held a gentle kindness that spoke volumes to Will as if she was screaming her concern. Her hand grasped at the side panel of the door. Like she was struggling with allowing herself to walk in or stay put at the entrance. “Wanted to see how you were fairing, what with the case of the runaway children...” Will could feel himself tensing up at the acknowledgment. It was a hard case. Middle children taking back what they thought family meant. Making their own family. It wasn't one he really wanted to be reminded of right at that moment.

“It's fine. I'm fine.” He managed to hash out tersely, shuffling his foot awkwardly and sighing. “Really Alana, I am okay.” He grimaced a smile at her, the narrowing her eyes showing him that it wasn't working. She seemed to have made her decision as she took a powerful step into his territory. Always with a critical eye; her gaze shifted around the room, finally landing on the barren tree.

“You got a Christmas tree?”

“It seems I have.”

She leveled him with another look, curious, the corners of her lips twitching into a smile.

“So...Are you going to decorate it?”

“I honestly have no idea.” He really didn't. Knew there were things that people wrapped around the tree, tinsel they call it, but he couldn't possibly have that around the dogs. Especially popcorn ones. He knew that people would put on ornaments that resembled their interests and hobbies. He couldn't think of any ornaments he would want. Did they even make fly fishing ornaments, or would you have to make one yourself?

Alana took it upon herself to move up closer to the barren and barely their excuse for a Christmas decoration. “I thought I'd help make some noise, seems like you are already succeeding in that.” Her hand brushed over one of the branches, feeling the bristles with some fond approval. “Fake tree, very nice. We used to have one of these when I was little.” Her voice became distant as the memories of the past surfaced in her mind. Memories of a smallish family, with a decent sized tree. And oh how their cat loved to paw at the ornaments until they were knocked from their resting places.

Will watched from a few spaces back, just at the front of the house. It was peaceful, seeing her eyeing the decoration that was to bring merry and joy. A sight that he admitted to himself he wanted to see more of. Winston nosed at his hand, looking up to him and then towards Alana as if he was demanding that Will do something about it before the chance was gone.

“It needs color Will,” Alana laughed, eyes bright with imagination. “We could make it sparkle. Bring a little more light in your life.” She turned to face him, determined. “And it can also be dog-friendly. That's what Christmas trees are for.”

“For being dog-friendly?”

“For bringing color and celebration, Will!”

Will stood still a few moments, rubbing the front of his face with his hand and sighing into it. “I don't know where to begin...” He started out, tasting the words on his tongue as he said them. He let the hopelessness fill him, uncertainty creeping in. This just wasn't something he did. He cursed how he had gotten over his head. He struggled with himself, knowing that Alana was looking straight at him.

“Lets go together,” She smiled kindly, waling forward to grab his hand and hold it in hers. “There are a few places to shop even all the way out here.” With her smile turning more grinning and a tug on his hand, Will found himself pulled towards his front door right onto the snow covered ground. “I know just the location.”

__________

“Maybe ribbon”

“I don't want to wrap up my tree like a present.”

“It wouldn't look like that!” Alana laughed, slapping him on the side of the arm lightly. Her cheeks tinted a dusty pink from her laughing. She held a ribbon up in her hands. It was brown and looked a bit like a burlap sack would if it was cut into long pieces. He could tell what she was trying to do, and appreciated it. Surprised even by her intuition, though he knew he really shouldn't have been. Neutral colors really did appeal to him. He liked the muted and earthy tones far better than bright and obnoxious hues.

There was going to be no way in hell he was going to decorate his own tree in Pinks after all.

“It will look good with the rest of our house, really tie the place together.” Alana continued, tossing the ribbon into the small hand cart she had set on the ground so she could use both her hands in her searching. “Better than Garland and tinsel. Ribbon wont...or shouldn't shed.” She gave it a contemplative look before turning her attentions back to the rows of ornaments.

“Brown could be seen as boring.” Will commented, eyes scanning over the tile floor as he heard Alana scoff back at him. “Its not very festive of a color.” He most certainly thought that Christmas colors were red and green. Maybe bits of gold or yellow here and there. White absolutely.

Brown....

Well not so much.

“You do realize that now-a-days tree decorations can be any color right?” Alana smirked, running finer along the bottoms of a row of ornaments so each one would swing from the motion. “I bet we can find one that looks just like Winston.” She grabbed one from a hanger, swirling it around her finger, letting the momentum carry it until the ornament slowed to a stop. Will took a closer look at it, huffing out a laugh from under his breath that sputtered into a deep chuckle.

In her hands was a ornament shaped and decorated like a border collie.

 

He had to admit that the tree did look rather nice in his living room. The lights sparkled against brown ribbons and giant white bulb ornaments. Dogs, bows, and fake fishing hooks decorated the dark green bristles; the color popping against one another. With a white tree skirt, the color scheme matched with the wood flooring. It brought a brighter corner into his home. Something that Will never really thought he needed but it looked good.

It looked like it belonged.

Alana clapped her hands together once, smiling at the work they both put into it. “Its beautiful.” her gaze bounced from one corner of the tree to another, eyeing every detail. “It really depends all on how you feel about it though.”

“I like it. You have a very keen eye.” His on slight smile grew fonder when he saw her cheeks coloring into a blush pink, taking in the praise graciously as she always does. Her hands gripped and ungripped tightly to a small package she had bought while they were at the store. Will had noticed it and had wondered, deciding that it didn't matter much when the bag wasn't brought up into conversation while they decorated. It was Christmas time after all. People buy things a lot during this time of year. Her hand movements were soon noticed by his canine companions. Some of them daring enough to walk closer and nose at the bag in question, giving her their best puppy dog eyes incase the package was for them.

It started a huff of a laugh out of Alana, the quiet extending for a period of time before she opened her mouth once more. “It was dumb. I was dumb. I just thought well...” The bag crinkled in her grip. “Nah, it was stupid of me. Probably more presumptuous than anything.”

“I honestly do not understand what you are talking about.” Will tried gently, giving her his full attention, causing her to look away and towards the wall adjacent to her.

“I just thought,” She paused again, struggling with the right words she wanted to say before taking in a deep breath. “I thought, you know, Christmas trees are personal and each one can describe the person or persons who spent time curating it to their likes and hobbies.” She slowly opened the bag, carefully taking out its contents to show Will. In her hands held an ornament. A peacock with intense blue feathers that faded into green. The blue seemed to have been mad by rainbow of colors that shown when a light shined upon it from overhead. It glimmered and twinkled, breath taking in its beauty.  
“Its very presumptuous of me but I thought....maybe a little piece of me could also be apart of the experience.” She lifted her gaze to face his, eyes sparkling with hope and something more. Something that stole his words from right under him. Something that found itself in the form of tilted heads and closed eyes. Lips greeting one another in a sweet embrace.

“I would want nothing else.”


End file.
